When you enter the professional world, you will realize that communication skills are extremely important for personal accomplishment and a successful career. While educational institutions place special emphasis on students’ communication skills development, writing skills are equally important. These skills enable you to communicate efficiently in an official environment via correspondence, persuade potential customers, and win business.
The elements like expression, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, paragraph formation, sentence structure, research and accuracy, precision and persuasiveness, all influence the quality of writing.
Why Are Writing Skills Imperative?
Writing skills are not only important for your academic performance but are also highly demanded in professional life. It makes you a better communicator, as you can communicate your ideas via official correspondence and publications. Excellent written communication creates an impression, boosts the reader’s confidence and earns you more credibility as a professional.
What are the Different Types of Business Writings?
When you are at your workplace, you are required to communicate with your co-workers, stakeholders and clients. You may have to connect via telephone, text, video, email, fax, or others, and share info. Hence, writing skills are an important factor in job places. When we talk about writing in the workplace, it is mainly business writing. So, here are the main types of business writing:
Instructional
You can use instructional business writing when variations take place at the job place. And if you are a senior authority, you may use instructional writing to deliver directions to your subordinates. Instructional writing is highly demanded at workplaces as it breaks down the messages into individual tasks or series of steps that enhance readers’ understanding.
Informational
Informational writing is mainly about forming official documents for reference or record keeping. Good writers are a valuable business asset as they help progress towards organizational goals, anticipate forthcoming changes, and conform to legal obligations.
Persuasive
Persuasive writing influences readers to take an action such as purchasing a product, hiring a service, or donating. This type of writing is highly common in sales and marketing, usually direct, and focuses on a specific good or service. It also helps build and maintain client relationships over long periods.
Transactional
This type of business writing embraces routine communication. You can use it to draft emails, business letters, invoices, and other company forms. The human resource department uses transactional writing to share complex info with the staff members.
What are the Different Types of Academic Writing?
If you are a student, you may have to do a lot of academic writing to achieve good grades. Here are different types of academic writing that you may come across:
Descriptive
It is the most basic type of academic writing. You can use descriptive writing to share facts or info. Some common examples of descriptive writing include article summaries, reports or experiment outcomes. If you are given an assignment that requires descriptive writing, you may have to identify, report, record summarise and define.
Analytical
Though analytical writing embraces descriptive writing, in this, you, have to shuffle the facts and info you describe into types, clusters, parts, varieties or relationships. In analytical writing, you may have to examine, compare, contrast, relay and study.
Persuasive
Persuasive writing encompasses all aspects of analytical writing such as facts and reorganization of the info, along with your viewpoint. As a student, you may have to write several persuasive essays and include a convincing element in the discussion and conclusions.
Critical
Critical writing includes all elements of persuasive writing along with your viewpoint. If you are doing persuasive writing, you may have your perspective, matter or theme, however, for critical writing, you are required to reflect on at least two outlooks (that may include your own). For instance, you may describe a researcher’s analysis or argument, and then assess the merits of the argument, or provide your alternate explanation. If you are doing critical writing, you may have to critique, debate, disagree and evaluate. For critical writing, you require strong writing skills, a sound understanding of the topic, and skills to develop a strong argument along with evidence.
What are the 10 Ways to Improve Writing Skills in 2023?
Some people have innate writing skills, which makes them outshine others. However, if you are not an expert writer, you can always learn. All you need is focus, time and practice. This article will illustrate 10 ways or strategies that can help enhance your writing skills in 2023:
Understand the Ideologies of Thoughtful Practice
If you are struggling with how to improve writing skills and feeling overwhelmed, the great news is that it is not very difficult. All you need is commitment and dedication, and you can achieve big. Just like a cook becomes a professional chef, and a guitarist becomes a popular singer, you can also build on your skill set, and feel accomplished.
Here is how you can improve your writing aptitude:
Know Your Writing Flaws
To improve your writing skills, you need to identify your weaknesses and determine what you wish to improve. For instance, if you are a student you will have to build on your academic writing skills, however, if you are a professional, you will have to master business writing skills. These efforts will accelerate your life achievements.
Read Work of Other Authors to Enhance Your Understanding of Writing Techniques
If you wish to enhance your writing skills, you should find works of other authors, and learn how they apply different writing techniques to influence the readers. If you wish to master one specific writing technique, learn its specifics and practice. Challenge yourself, create new content every time, and nurture a growth mind-set.
Do Research Before Writing
Before cooking a meal, you consider everyone’s requirements, and preferences to make a decision. Then, you get your groceries and follow a set of instructions to prepare a dish. As good cooking requires planning and effort, building writing skills have similar requirements. So, here are a few things to consider when writing:
Who is the target audience or reader?
A good writer will always develop their writings according to a particular reader in mind. They will understand their interests, motivations and fears when writing. This will make their writing more specific, and popular.
What Resolution Will You Present?
Every person acts out of their interest. Readers will be more interested in your writing when it will show a resolution to a problem. Valuable content has a clear purpose i.e. to enthuse readers to follow your advice or opinion.
What Resolution Will You Present?
What roadmap will you choose to help your readers solve issues or achieve their targets? Setting a roadmap will help you write clear and rational articles.
How Can You Mentor the Reader?
Remember that you are influencing the reader with your writings, and you act as a mentor. So, you need to reflect that you understand readers’ problems, discuss the solution, and motivate them to do something that can make their lives or future better.
Learn the Art of Structuring the Writing
When you want to achieve big, you plan. Every project requires a concept or idea, preparation, and effort that will lead to exceptional results. Similarly, a good writer also plans, prepares and does hard work. A credible piece of writing will keep the reader hooked and engaged throughout. So, your writings should be in accordance.
Influential Headline
An influential headline uses powerful words or facts to capture the readers’ attention. Remember readers’ mind is occupied with many things and stresses. So, as a writer, you need to include content in the headline that interests the reader and addresses their concerns.
Attractive Opening
An attractive opening can well capture the audience, discuss readers’ concerns and show them a way out, so they are motivated to read.
Valuable Body
A valuable body of an essay includes relevant and credible evidence or pathway on how to resolve the issue or achieve a target.
Inspirational Conclusion
The conclusion should be inspirational as it will entice the reader to take action. You can become a real authority when your reader feels the change that your suggestion can make in their life.
As long as you keep your readers’ interests in mind, you can successfully achieve your purpose. However, you should communicate clearly and powerfully.
Master The Basic Writing Skills
To prepare a delicious meal, a chef needs to follow many steps such as cutting, sautéing, grilling and roasting. Similarly, you should follow the basic writing skills to create highly impressive writings.
Learn the Art of Using Rich Language
Rich language can help you expertly transform abstract ideas into concrete ones. The reader will be able to better understand ideas, messages and viewpoints.
Write Expressive Sentences
The basis of good writing is to include expressive and meaningful words and sentences in your essays.
Transition Smoothly
A commendable writer knows how to transition easily from one sentence to another, and from one paragraph to another. Make sure that every sentence and para interconnects, as it will provide a flow to your writings.
Clear and Concise Writing
Writing clear and concise messages will make your writings persuasive, strong and impactful.
Use Powerful Words
Weak words, clichés and slang can reduce the worth of your essay. So, if you wish to jazz up your writing, choose powerful words and sensory phrases.
Learn the Advanced Skill to Boost Your Writing Credibility
After you have learnt to communicate with power and lucidity, it is the right time to build your signature style:
- Zoom-in-zoom-out are worthy techniques that will help you weave minute stories in your content.
- Use cliffhangers to pace your stories and capture readers.
- Using metaphors can spice up your writing and change the essence of boring topics.
- Include long sentences, and learn how to use rhythm to tune your writings.
- Choose different word choices, and prefer using a more conversational tone so that readers get accustomed to your voice.
- Write from the bottom of your heart so that your writings reflect enthusiasm. It is a great way to engross readers and flash action.
Learn Writing Habits
People learn cooking through YouTube videos, referring to recipe books, guidance from experts or experimenting. Similarly, you can learn writing skills in many ways. One of the most powerful ways to master writing skills is to practice regularly. Here is how:
- Plan your timetable and allocate some part of the day to writing
- Set daily targets to achieve big. Remember that writing one paragraph daily or even allocating 10 minutes to writing each day can be very helpful.
- Develop a creative link with your inner critic, as it will enable you to become a more thrilled and productive writer.
- Begin writing, even if you are least motivated for the day. Your thinking will recompense your hard work, and your words will start creating a magical influence.
- Choose a peaceful place to write where there are no distractions. Put aside your cell phone, social media, and other entertainment to focus. Once, you are successful in focusing, your output will be your superpower.
- Break down the writing process into simple steps such as outline, drafting, revision and final editing. Try not to do too much work at one time. Instead, divide it into days, so that you can do some each day, and improve your writing with fresh energy.
- Haughty goals might not help you develop writing habits. So, try to make small efforts such as writing sentences, small paragraphs and then eventually writing essays. This will eventually help build your strength and boost your confidence in writing. You will grow day by day.
Proofread and Edit
Do you think a piece of writing full of grammar and spelling mistakes will create a good impression? Certainly not. So, you should learn to create fool-proof writing making it easy for the writer to understand.
As a good writer, you should know the skills of using punctuation and forming sentence structure and paragraphs. It will add more credibility to your writing.
If you are weak at grammar and spelling, it’s a good idea to use various online checking tools such as Grammarly. These tools are helpful and seasoned for writers to help them avoid mistakes. You can even consider practising online or seeking expert help. Business Assignment Help in UK is a preferred option for this.
Read What You Wish to Write
Whatever you wish to write, read a similar sample. It will guide your writing, and develop your professional approach. For instance, if you are writing an argumentative essay, read the essay requirements, the way of writing, and a sample. Make notes of how the author has structured the essay and made it valuable. You can search for samples online. However, if you are a student, you may ask your senior class teacher to provide you with a sample of past students. Another useful way is to seek Online Business Management Assignment Help in UK.
If you wish to become a valuable writer, you should develop a reading habit. Reading every day can help improve your writing. You can read a newspaper, magazine, article or book. If you are not a habitual reader, you may begin with the topics that interest you. You can even ask your friends and family for suggestions. It will help you understand different subjects, genres and authors.
Get Feedback
No matter what you are writing, taking feedback from an expert or someone can notably improve your writing. Another person’s opinion or interpretation can help you focus and create better structure, conclusion and argument.
So, the best way to get feedback is to approach a trusted friend, co-worker, teacher, mentor or family member and ask them to read your writings. However, if you are a student, your institution might also have a writing resource centre you can access for help.
Another way is to formulate a writing group or join a writing class. You may look up writing courses online, at your local library, community college or independent workshop in your locality.
Joining a writing course is the most effective and fast-tracked way to improve your writing skills. You will be amazed to know that there are several creative writing, copywriting and academic writing courses available online. You just need to sign up, submit payment and join classes.
Structure is Important
While grammar, spelling and sentence structure make your writing cohesive, your essay structure is equally important. So, before you start writing, create an outline to set the structure. An outline can give you an idea of what to include in each section, allowing you to imagine the flow of your writing and structure parts that require more research and consideration.
Remember that structure for every piece of writing is different. A typical essay comprises of intro, body and conclusion. However, a fiction piece might feature a six-stage plot structure including exposition, action, climax, falling action, resolution and denouncement. So, make the best choice, and sway your audience.
